This winter in Colorado may be colder and snowier than normal with the possibility of heavy storms due to the warm water in the South Pacific Ocean. CBS4 reported “Colorado’s 2015/2016 winter season may be one for the record books as El Nino conditions strengthen in the Pacific Ocean.”
Addison Auto Repair and Body Shop wants to help keep your vehicle reliable and safe this winter.
Some items that are important to monitor and maintain in the winter can be done by you. First of all it will be getting dark much earlier and all lights should be inspected. You can do this by turning on the headlights and walking around the vehicle. Have someone sit inside and operate the turn signals, brakes and backup lights. Be sure they keep their foot on the brake when shifting to reverse. The low beams should shine about 160 ft ahead of the vehicle and slightly to the right so the right hand white line on the road is illuminated. If the headlights are dirty or the covers are faded, the distance will be a lot shorter. We stock most bulbs and can quickly repair anything that isn’t working. We can also restore the clarity of the lights if they are faded. A second thing that you can inspect yourself is your wipers and washers. It would be a good idea to pick up a gallon of washer fluid at the grocery next time you go. Fill the washer reservoir and spray the windshield. Are the wiper blades leaving any streaks? If so it is time to replace them. The best blades for winter are the ones without open frames. These don’t collect ice and snow.
Antifreeze is not only to cool the engine, but it also has anticorrosive additives that prevent the eating away of the metal parts in the cooling system. Since there are so many different types of antifreeze, the simple ball float isn’t accurate for all of them. The antifreeze should have a freeze point of at least -35f and have an effective additive package.
Batteries lose 33% of their power at 32 degrees F and 50% at 0 degrees. A battery that has been working well all summer could leave you stranded when the mercury drops to 0. We can perform a quick battery test to determine the The most important part of winter driving is having adequate tires. The Colorado Chain Law also applies to personal vehicles. Last year one day CDOT assisted 22 vehicles that had spun out and were blocking traffic. 19 of these vehicles had bald tires.
When the chain law is in effect, passenger vehicles need to meet one of the following 4 criteria:
- Snow tires with a minimum of 1/8” tread
- All season tires (marked M&S) with a minimum of 1/8” tread
- 4 wheel drive with tires having a minimum of 1/8” tread
- Traction devices like chains or auto sock on 2 drive wheels.
An easy test to measure tread depth is with a quarter. Insert the quarter in the groove between the treads with George’s pointing toward the tire. If the top of his head is not covered by the tread, the tread is less than 1/8”. If part of his head is covered by the tread, then the tread is more than 1/8”
The fine for driving with inadequate tires when the chain law is in effect is $100.00 plus $33.00 surcharge. The fine for spinning out and blocking traffic because of inadequate tires is $500.00 plus $157.00 surcharge.
We recommend having a set of snow tires for winter and then remounting summer tires in the spring. When the first heavy snow hits the stock of snow tires begins to diminish quickly. Reach out to us to discuss your options.
To help you feel more confident about your vehicle’s condition, we will do a test of your battery and antifreeze for free in just a few minutes while you wait. Just notify us a couple hours ahead so we can get you back on the road quickly.
